Peter Nehr (born June 29, 1952) is an Austrian-born American politician and former Republican member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

who represented the 48th District of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

from 2006 to 2012.

Biography

Personal life

Peter Nehr was born in

Kapfenberg Kapfenberg () is a city in the Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district of the Austrian state of Styria. It lies in the valley of the Mürz river in central Austria. With an estimated population of 22,080 individuals in 2024, it is the third largest city in S ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, on June 29, 1952, and began his education at the St. Petersburg Junior College, now known as St. Petersburg College. He completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

. He owned a flag shop in

Tarpon Springs, Florida Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and underwent beautification in 2010. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 25,117 at the 2020 census. As of ...

, but filed for

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, facing a more than $300,000 cash shortfall. In the spring of 2011, Nehr chose to close Fun City Sweepstakes in Palm Harbor, which he owned, after the Pinellas County Sheriff threatened to shut it down as a gambling establishment.

Political career

Beginning in 2002, Nehr served two terms as City Commissioner for the city of

, and on the Board of Directors of the Tarpon Springs Historical Society. He is also on the Board of the local

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...

. He was the organizer of Tarpon Springs' first Military Appreciation Day Parade. He served also as a

Guardian ad litem A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person who is deemed incompetent, ca ...

in the State of Florida in

Pinellas County Pinellas County (, ) is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 959,107, making it the seventh-most populous county in the state. It is also the most d ...

. In the 2006 election, Nehr narrowly defeated Countryside High School teacher Carl Zimmerman to become the Florida State House representative for District 48. During the 2007 session, he served on the Committee on Ethics & Elections, where he was vice chair. He won re-election to the Florida House on November 4, 2008 again by a narrow margin (51% to 49%) over Zimmerman. He was re-elected in 2010, defeating challenger Tom McKone, with 61.5% of the vote. In 2012, the district was renumbered as the 65th district; Nehr narrowly lost to Zimmerman, 54%-49%. In 2014, Nehr was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat on the Pinellas County Commission; he finished second of seven candidates in the Republican Primary election, with 22% of the vote.

Philosophical or political views

VoteSmart compiled Nehr's ratings by various groups. In 2008, he rated "100" compared with the position of the Associated Builders and Contractors. He was rated in the 90s with Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. In 2007, the Christian Coalition of Florida gave him a rating in the 50s., in 2008 in the 70s. According to his campaign site, Nehr supported the "Homeowner's Insurance Bill of Rights", legislation mandating lower insurance premiums for those made improvements to their homes to strengthen them against

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its lo ...

s and sought lower insurance rates. He believes health care should be reasonably affordable and of high quality. He also said that tax-funded services should be cut to lower taxes.Peter Nehr on the Issues. Online. November 5, 2008.
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References

External links

Official websiteSponsored billsProject VoteSmart
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St Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute for ...